Facebook extends Watch Party to Pages and personal profiles, adds features

Facebook’s multi-user video feature Watch Party is now available to Pages and personal profiles.

The offering — which lets multiple users watch and comment on the same video simultaneously — was initially launched in Groups only. Since it came out of beta in July, the company reports, the number of daily Watch Parties has grown sevenfold and there have been more than 12 million Watch Parties.

Facebook has also introduced new features including the ability for Pages and Groups to schedule a Watch Party, threaded comments and Live Commentating, which lets a host moderate a Watch Party as videos play.

The new Live Commentating feature on creator Tessa Netting’s Watch Party

Why it matters

So far, according to Facebook, Watch Party has been a successful tool for increasing engagement. The company reports that Watch Parties get eight times as many comments as non-live videos, good news for marketers who use the functionality to connect and engage with multiple customers at once.

The company says that the technology can be used in many ways, including Q&As, behind-the-scenes or b-roll content, tips and tricks and demonstrations. Publishers have also been using the functionality to host Watch Parties to build anticipation for events, and connect audiences from other media.

What else you should know

• Though Facebook’s been slowly rolling out the ability for individuals to host Watch Parties, it’s now available globally.
• The company is highlighting its new Live Commentating feature through an event on Wednesday: a Big Chicken Shaq Watch Party hosted by Shaquille O’Neal on his page.